Adam Glick

ESPN SoCal

8-29-23

PHILADELPHIA — The Los Angeles Angels made several impactful moves earlier today. The Angels placed pitchers Reynaldo López, Matt Moore and Lucas Giolito and outfielders Randal Grichuk and Hunter Renfroe on waivers.

Other MLB teams have the option to take the remaining part of their contracts if they want to aquire them. All five players were set to become free agents at the conclusion of this MLB season.

Currently the players will remain on the Angels, as the waiver process is active. Teams that choose one of these players contracts must submit a claim. Once that claim is submitted the waiver priority go in reverse order of current MLB standings.

This move could save the Angels a potential $7.3 million if all players are successfully claimed. All-Star Giolito was traded to the Angels this summer at the MLB Trade Deadline. August has gone the wrong direction for the Angels, and now the clear intentions are for the 2024 season.

All five players present interest for possible playoff contenders. Renfroe offers power with 18 home runs this season. Lopez, Moore, and Giolito all offer power arms and inning eaters. And Grichuk offers quality defense with a contact bat.

Two upcoming free agents that avoided being put on waivers were impending free agents Shohei Ohtani and Mike Moustakas.

As the Angels season dwindles down more and more decisions will need to be made about the offseason. 

Adam Glick

ESPN SoCal

Jeff Fletcher
The Orange County Register 

contributed to this story

Anaheim- Shohei Ohtani lasted just 26 pitches in game one of two in today’s doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds. Arm fatigue was once again the issue for Ohtani as he was also replaced in the designated hitter position. 

Ohtani has battled injuries all season long with cramping, a blister, and a cracked fingernail.
 

Before exiting the game Ohtani crushed his league-leading 44th home run. The Angels would eventually drop their third straight game and fell to five games below 500.

In the top of the second, he threw a 2-and-2 fastball to Christian Encarnacion-Strand and signaled to the Angels bench things were not right. 

Left-hander Tyler Anderson replaced Ohtani in the second inning, where he picked up the loss pitching 4.2 innings and allowing one run. 

Ohtani has a 3.14 ERA in 132 innings this season. He had been on pace for career-highs in innings and starts before he began having issues in early July.

Now with only 35 games remaining and the Angels far out of the postseason chase, Ohtani could be shut down on the mound. 

Ohtani has a 3.14 ERA in 132 innings this season. He had been on pace for career-highs in innings and starts before he began having issues in early July.

Angels play later this evening in game two of the doubleheader before welcoming in the New York Mets this weekend. 

Adam Glick 

ESPN SoCal

The Cincinnati Reds' TJ Friedl (29) and Elly De La Cruz celebrate after defeating the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023, in Anaheim, California. (Meg Oliphant/Getty Images/TNS)

Last night the Los Angeles Angels suffered a loss the Cinnantti Reds. The Angels now stand at 61-65 overall, and a season high 10 games back of the final AL Wild Card Position.

Star outfielder Mike Trout made his return last night after missing 38 games due to a hamate fracture in his left hand. The three-time American League MVP went 1 for 4 with a single in his return agasint the Reds.

 Los Angeles shot for the moon this season. During the MLB Trade Deadline, the Angels aquired heavy hitter Mike Moustakas and all star pitcher Lucas Giolito. The record at the time of the Trade Deadline the Angels stood at 56-52 in the thick of the AL Wild Card hunt.

The Angels also held onto MLB's best player in dualthreat player Shohei Ohtani. The Babe Ruth like superstar is currently hitting 304. 43 Home Runs, and 89 RBI's.

Now towards the end of August, with only 36 games remaining it's safe to assume that the 2023 playoff campaign is most likely over. Since the additions of two huge pieces at the deadline the Angels have completely sputtered the wrong direction with a record now of 5-13.

With the season dwindling down the Angels face a major crossroads moving forward. Having a depleted farm system and possibly losing superstar player Ohtani to free agency, the Angels have some hard decisions they have to make.

For the remaining part of the MLB season, we will see what kind of resilence the Los Angeles Angels are made of as they try to make one last push. The future of the franchise remains on standby with each ensuing loss. 

The last 36 games could change the directory of the Angels franchise for years to come. Good or bad the ship has already set their course for 2023.

Tents and belongings of unhoused people are seen near the rushing water of the Los Angeles River, near Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California on Aug. 20, 2023. Heavy rains lashed California as Tropical Storm Hilary raced in from Mexico, bringing warnings of potentially life-threatening flooding in the typically arid southwestern United States. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images/TNS)

Sarah Valenzuela
Los Angeles Times
(TNS)

The Angels' series opener against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday has been postponed, the field at Angel Stadium needing more time to dry after Tropical Storm Hilary rolled through Anaheim on Sunday.

Monday's game will be made up in a split doubleheader on Wednesday, the team announced, the first game starting at 1:07 p.m. and the make-up game beginning at 6:38 p.m.

It's the second time in three days that the Angels have needed to reschedule a home game because of the weather, something the team has not needed to do since 1983.

On Friday, the Angels, Dodgers and San Diego Padres moved their scheduled Sunday home games to Saturday in anticipation of an historic storm system not seen in Southern California since 1939. All three teams hosted doubleheaders, the Angels splitting with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Tickets to the originally scheduled game for Monday can be used to attend the make-up game on Wednesday night.

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